I' heard this multiple times when growing up....but only now, as an adult, am I taking it more to heart....."Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
I think the buy things online-thing is subjective. I'm way more likely to impulse buy when I'm browsing e-bay than in an actual store, because when I'm holding something in my hands it's easier for me to think "but will I use it" or "but where will I put it?" It's a matter of knowing your own impulse triggers, I guess.
Anneli Elisabet me too . It’s easier to click and buy . Lately Costco online has soo many good things . Lucky I am being really good and buying stuff I really needed or wanted for years. They had a perfume and conditioner that was half what you pay retail
I don’t have that issue, but I am the opposite of the “spending cash is emotionally harder.” Cash just flows out of my hands because it’s a sure thing. Using cards forces me to check my balances. So no matter what research says, there’s always an exception.
A few other tips i use (though I am far from debt free): -budgeting. Specifically write down EVERY purchase. Most people will be shocked at how it adds up. -fix it if you can. Clothes, housewares, etc. -find out if you have a local "buy nothing" group -just wait. Whatever you want but don't need will be forgotten. I only buy it if i am still thinking about it a while later. -invest in paint to make things match your home instead of new furniture. You can thrift or spruce up old stuff wayyyy cheaper. -get glasses online instead of from a store. And get your eye exam when theres a special going on. This has saved me likeee approx $250 every 2 years.
I think it's a great tip to write down all purchases. I used to do that as well when things were REALLY tight and it brought to light just how many frivolous purchases were being made!
Straight up eye exams at Walmart or Sams Club. All eye doctors have the same optometry degree. While I like the idea of supporting local businesses, I ain't paying $250-300 for an eye exam from an independent optometrist when the exams at walmart/shopko/sams are $70-80.
We bought a lot of our furniture (matching Indian sheesham) from gumtree and eBay dirt cheap. I asked each one their reasons for getting rid of expensive piece of furniture and 80% of them said it doesn’t go with their new decor!! One item was still wrapped in factory plastic protection sleeve! Bizarre but good for me as I’ve beautiful furniture that I’ve saved thousand of pounds by buying too cheap!
I work in an academic library - I handle interlibrary loan. People are always shocked to find out how few books I own. I don't feel a desire to own a lot of books. They take up a lot of visual real estate and it feels so good to free it up when I return them.
The library costs too much for people that can't 100% know if they will get the books back on time prob spent $500 on late fees between the age 15-20 and decided the library was a trap. lol
Ambee Gaming hardly a trap when there’s a receipt that says when you need your books/materials back on time. The 32 libraries in the 1 system here also sets up for automatic renewals and texts or automated phone calls are made as reminders the items are due soon. The people who have massive fees tend to steal from the library. If it’s a case of emergency/hospital/house fire we tend to waive the late fees. Just yesterday 1 of the libraries I work at waiver $235 which is insane but we aren’t heartless.
@@PlaceForAnEcho No still a trap just one even you don't see cuz you never had to deal with it. Edit this was almost 15 years ago they could hardly run their own scanners forget about "automatic renewals and texts"
Another tip for shaving: getting a safety razor saves tons of money (and is less waste full). The handle is stainless steel, so will last an actual lifetime or longer. And the razors last really long and are cheap to buy. I switched about three years ago and I'm never going back to plastic I think.
This is a big one. I bought my grandparents house and there were 2 safety razors of my grandpas still in perfect condition. The handles will 100% outlast your life, and probably your children's life. I bought a pack of 30 razor blades for $15 years ago and am STILL going though them. I have my own handle I bought before I bought the house but now I have 2 extra (thanks grandpa!)
Caitlin Smulders ive been wanting to get a stainless steel one for soo long. Still going through the plastic ones i bought once a few gears ago. Do you have a recommendation by any chance for a stainless steel one?
I need to just use up all the plastic once and then treat myself to a bad ass stainless steel one. My grandpa uses the one he got as a teen still. Definitely better than plastic!!
I run outside, when it rains, so I can catch as much water as possible in buckets. I can water my chickens for a week. I open curtains instead of turning on lights during the day. We wear sweatshirts instead of turning up heat. I fill my dogs water dishes while waiting for the water to heat up. I write down all errands for one day a week. I use all community freebies that I can; library, food banks, school functions,free classes etc.
When we stayed at a villa in Florida twice some years back, we were advised by the owners to keep the curtains shut - to keep the heat out and reduce the air conditioner being used.
My favorite shelf is one I pulled from the curb at my neighbor's house. It is solid as a beast.... Sometimes the "old, cheap or free" stuff is the best. But be thoughtful about it.
Finding a way I did a similar thing! I found a super sturdy large square end table someone was throwing out. In the duplex I'm in we have a large landing and I cleaned it up and asked my neighbor if we could put it there. It is my belief by each door in and out of the house there should be a table. Sometimes you need to set groceries down or your bags of stuff for work when you realize you forgot your keys. Turns out my neighbor loves it as much as I do. She sits on it to put her shoes on the morning. Before we had wasted space and a floor I wouldn't have put anything on and now we have a multi-purpose table for the cost of some cleaning spray and a few paper towels.
Me too! My boyfriend makes fun of me all the time. Cuz when im not sure about an item, ill put it in my cart then finish my shopping. Then I can evaluate what i have in my cart that i actually need vs want n then i go put things back. It works for me 🤷
Love these tips! My husband and I are on our debt free journey and our big extreme thing is majorly downsizing. We are in the midst of getting rid of at least 75% of our stuff in order to move into an RV so we can become completely debt free and travel the country. Becoming debt free and getting to travel is a dream come true!
I also recently saw a post somewhere (sorry I can't give credit): It only takes $27.40 a day to get yourself into $10,000 in debt. For me it helps to be aware of those little expenses. I keep several lists in my bullet journal: a wish list with a minimum of 1 week waiting period, a list of every thing I've found myself saying "but it's only $5.00" (or some other low amount), and a list of things that I enjoy. These lists help clarify my shopping urges. The wishlist lets me reflect and see if I really want something instead of having that impulse thought of "yeah I want and need that thing" and then immediately buying said thing. I am able to wait and put time and distance between the wished for item. I also use that time to see if I can substitute something else for the new fancy "thing" that I thought I wanted. The "but it's only $5.00" serves as a reminder of how stupid I can be about spending money just because the price isn't high. I have been tempted to buy some really dumb stuff because i'ts only a couple bucks. And then the last list reminds me that what usually makes me happy either doesn't cost money or it might cost money but it's not at a store (experiences). I made these lists a habit. I also participate in zero spend months to raise money out of my own budget to help me save for certain short term goals or to help me get back on track if I feel I am getting a little spend crazy. All of these tips and so many more have helped me work toward paying off all of my credit card debt in one year which amounted to over $15,000 while making only $34,000.
😳Holy Shizzle! I used to have to pay $35/mo for healthcare, and I complained b/c that was the highest rate in 🇨🇦 2020 saw the end of that bill in BC💫 Car free family here 👟 We expressly live near town to avoid the expenses (financial & environmental) of a pmv (personal motor vehicle). My kids learned to ride their bicycles by the time they were 4, we walk & cycle everywhere, and use public transit as a last resort. Feels great to stay physically active🙂
Nice, I LOVE public transit and miss having it! What’s healthcare like now in Canada? I heard things were changing. The US healthcare marketplace is really expensive.. there’s just no way around it though because we get fined if we don’t enroll in a plan or obtain coverage elsewhere (another employer). 😫
In my area everyone has been on the waitlist for years to get a gp. Most walk in clinics refuse to give basic blood testing unless they feel you are extremely ill. Our chronic disease care in canada kind of sucks. Especially when you have an invisible disability.
I've been binging Dave Ramesy podcasts and knowing you're Debt Free makes me squeal!!! Good for freakin you!!!!!! That's amazing!!!! Screams and hugs from Napa!! 🎉🎉😍 PS I posted this Before you mentioned Dave! I KNEW you've listened to him 😇
Jasmin Rivera nissans will run forever!!!!! 😍😍😍I had one that I finally got rid of only bc all our cars were old and had so many miles and my hubs was worried. So I finally said fine go out and buy whatever you want and I will get rid of my Nissan and take your truck (it is navy and I love navy!!!) So far so good. But yeah you can drive a Nissan til it falls apart. I still see the guy driving it up and down our highway and this was like 5 or 6 yrs ago when I sold it. LOL
Girl, give that Nissan some love! Those things can last forever! We drive an Altima that had 349, 000 miles on it. Ran great until the day a tree crushed it during a storm. :( I'm convinced that with good care it could have made it to half a mil!
I'm here for the tips. I'm for minimalism for how it looks, and the freedom. If something is ugly and I don't use it anymore, I just donate it. I can live without a lot of things esp if they don't serve me or make my space look Better.
Colleen Thomsen I think she means don’t replace things you do need/use just because they don’t look like you want them to, if you are in debt/broke. Yes, declutter everything you don’t need/like-but in this case, keep it if you need it but it’s not your preference, donate or abs replace when you actually have the money for it.
A great tip someone else gave on their channel was to give yourself a long waiting period before purchasing. I do at least 30 days. I can't tell you how many times I've put something in my cart online, then came back to it months later only to find that I could really do without it. My tip is to download a free debt payoff spreadsheet and use that to track your progress. It really helped me to see everything in black and white and have the actual numbers laid out so clearly: how much interest I'll be paying, how many months it will take to pay off each debt, etc. My partner and I are tackling our debt separately. I'm on track to be consumer debt free in 4 months! Since he bought a new truck last year, it'll take him a bit longer, but he'll be done next October. Our mortgage would take five more years, but we're planning on selling and buying a smaller place in our dream location with the leftover cash.
I've noticed I become obsessed about something if i put it in my online cart. Keep going back to check stock and price. I usually end up eventually purchasing. I think I'm going to have to stop adding.
@@matilda2 I get it! I remember feeling like that for some things that I later regretted purchasing. Maybe keying into that feeling of buyer's remorse is what led me to having the 30-day wait for non-essential stuff. Also, got tired of driving to UPS. Even with free returns, the hassle gets tiresome... Do what works for you!
Yeah ... I grocery shop online because it keeps my from impulse buying. But I CANNOT have amazon Prime or go on Target.com because I WILL get myself in trouble.
I'm actually kind of proud of our ratty 20-year-old wedding gift bath towels, with strings and bits hanging off them. They still work just fine, and I will keep them until they are completely falling apart. They actually make me happy, because really, the thought of replacing them, and deciding what to do with the old towels (yes, pet shelters might accept them, and some could be cleaning rags) causes me too much anxiety. Easier to just use them. :)
Eating out, even just a coffee every day really adds up! We don't have any brand new cars...but we have several. my husband is a mechanic and is a vehicle hoarder lol. But yes going out and buying a $70k truck when you make $60k a year is crazy. Glad to see a new video from you as always 😊 can we have more inn videos please, staying there is on my bucket list.
Also a tip here for shopping: If you buy something, some decor, clothes, shoes or whatever thing - put it aside and let it be there for a couple of days. If it’s a decor- put it up but don’t take tags off. Look at it. If you don’t feel 100% excitement while it’s there resting, I suggest to return it. This is what I always do and it saved me tons of money. Coz I get exited to buy something, then when I have it for a few days, I sometimes don’t reach for the thing. And so I understand that I don’t need this thing and just take my time to actually return it. I know that many people are lazy to return stuff, but get into a habit. It will help a lot.
In the U.K. you cannot return stuff without a valid reason. And most commonly, you don’t get a refund but a credit note. Best not to buy in the first place.
Beth 1975 well whole world is not uk neither people can’t escape buying all together. Sometimes you buy tools that you think you need, then don’t end up using, or buy clothes online that you need, but have to see how they fit. I’m not talking about impulse shopping here. I’m pretty sure that even if in the Uk there’s a more strict policy about returning stuff, at least it doesn’t apply to online and you can come up with a valid reason to return something. Also as credit is not the worst thing, you can use instead of having something useless that doesn’t fit your needs.
I know the UK isn’t the whole world, I was just saying what it’s like in the U.K. as for credit note - you end up having to buy something (depending on which store, some you have to use within 24 hours!). Just pointing that out in case people aren’t aware and to double check their own store/country policy. There have been times where my friends have said they cannot return goods ordered via amazon unless it was evidently damaged in transit. Again I’m not saying that rules apply all over the world, just that returning items is not always possible. I’m aware that in USA there are different policies in place or it may be easy to return for a refund - good for you all. But it’s always worthwhile to check and double check so you don’t end up with things you’ve paid for and can not get a refund.
Hi Rachel! I’m really surprised you’re not a life consultant coach. You’re amazing! I hope the family is doing fine. I homeschool my granddaughter and we are out on the back patio doing her reading lesson. Yesterday it was 80, today it’s going to be 76. God bless you all. Thanks for the advice. Jean from Arizona 🌻🦎🌴🐍🏜🦂🌵
Aw, thanks for saying so. It’s on my bucket list to learn how to be a life coach! That sounds like a dream. 😊 I’m glad to hear of those nice warm temps in Arizona, as I’ll be heading that way for a vacation soon!! 😁💕
It’s nice to hear some tips that aren’t just “cut out Starbucks” I know you mentioned it because that is very real. I know people that spend 300-400 just on coffee. I grew up in a frugal family and this is just mind boggling to me. I also have cut my husbands hair since we married! He did go to the 💈 barbershop before, (he spent I think between 25-30 with a tip every two weeks)but was happy to save $ when we got married! It makes me happy to think of how much $ we’ve saved over the years that way (probably about $6k at our 10y mark this year). Even though most have thought me weird....probably. 🤣 The new tip I heard is buying online! I don’t go to stores very much but the grocery store and Walmart I “have” to. Maybe at least buying online for Walmart will help! The upcharge for grocery store hurt my frugal side quite a bit. 🤣 We still have more debt than my parents first house cost (granted that home was under 70k)! I want to change that. We live pretty frugal but our outgoing exceeds the incoming but I know I can improve!!! :) Thanks for this video.
I cut my husbands hair too. He only ever goes to the barbers for special occasions like when we have a wedding to go too and those occasions don't come around very often. I thought it was nice to not hear the "cut out Starbucks" too!
These tips are actually SO HELPFUL. In the last year, I’ve changed cell phone carriers, automated all my bills that were charging me to pay one-time payments online (or postage!), readjusted my internet/car insurance plans, and am currently looking at my options for vehicle financing to purchase a car once my lease expires in a few months. Adulting is hard! And unfortunately, it requires constant price checking and financial review.
The biggest thing for me was to be brutally, BRUTALLY honest about my income vs my expenses. I also looked at my debt and was brutally honest about how long it was going to take me to pay it off if I kept on the way I was. As a result, I did up a budget, minimizing spending and maximizing debt repayment. I used a financial windfall to pay 3/4 of my truck loan and once that is gone, I can divert the funds that would have been a truck payment to repaying my line of credit and kick that debt to the curb. I am in Canada, so I think with the exchange rate we are pretty much on the same page with regard to how much to spend on a vehicle. My truck was just under 10 thousand (about 75 hundred US). I also recommend lowering the limit on your credit card, so that even when temptation strikes you are not able to spend more than you can afford to repay within the shortest period of time possible. DVD's are another area of my life that I needed to devote some attention to, so I suspended my Netflix account and am watching my DVD collection. As I watch them, I am unhauling all the titles I won't watch again (those will be donated to a local charity shop). So I have several weeks of FREE entertainment and it's been really fun. I also gave myself a deadline to make it a priority. If I don't watch it by the deadline, out it goes.
We do something we call "keep the change". Everytime we write out a check, we round the amount up to the next dollar. So if we write a check for 26.25, we'll round it up to 27.00 and when we balance the check book we add up all that change. We've been doing this for the past 13 years and we have over 1100.00 extra in our checkbook.
Wish I had known all this when I was younger. Kudos to you guys. If you dry your razors between uses, it prolongs their use even longer. We stopped exchanging gifts, for the most part, except for the grandchildren, we don't give gifts. After all, how much stuff do we all really need? Plus as a minimalist, it really bothers me to receive, or give, an unwanted or uneeded gift. We don't buy paper napkins, we use cloth ones. We purchased a Burkey water filter, so we don't purchase bottled water. Another great video.
Already doing the razor one (mach 3), windfalls to debt and the car one, especially maintenance of the car - road salt is so hard on them and regular home detailing makes it a pleasure to drive! We struggle with meals out, but continue to work on it. (Ps: never apologize for talking too much... you do you and I will continue to watch and tell everyone about your channel BECAUSE of it...) 🇨🇦
Two things: Low Buy Challenge and unsubscribe from Amazon. I might start making a shopping list. Things would have to sit on there for a whole month before buying. Love the comment on keeping ugly useful things! 👍 Really good video!
This was great!!!! Hahhaha you are so right even though I’m so bad at this lol! I’ve always enjoyed your honesty, attitude and your channel!!! So proud of y’all!!! Congrats!!! One tip I do have is I have learned if I see something I really want when I’m out shopping, I go home, sleep on it, if two or three days (sometimes a week) later, I really still want it, I will go back and purchase it! I save ALOT that way!! I.e. home decor, craft supplies, organizing bins i think I need more of etc 🥰
Preach it sister! Love your matter of fact and realistic approach to our society's mindless consumerism! We need to stop buying stuff to impress other people!
Yes!!! Love love love this! My husband and i would not be able to afford to travel now if we hadn't been SO frugal when we first got married. We have used every one of these tips (minus the kid tips) for years. Preach it Rachel! 👏👏👏 So happy for Y'all! ❤❤❤
Congratulations on being Dept free!!! That is so exciting! I agree, minimalism and finances do go hand in hand. Also, thanks for the tips! These are great and very helpful.
Congratulations on being debt-free! This January I was able to pay off my last two credit cards (I used to have 6) due to an inheritance. I still have two loans - a very low-interest fixed-rate student loan and a moderate-interest consolidation loan.The consolidation loan should be paid off in 2 years by redirecting the amounts I was paying on my credit cards to it. I have decided to not use the inheritance to pay off my student loan but invest instead. If I can't get a return on my investment that is higher than the interest I pay on my student loan, I'll reconsider my choice. Part of this is worry that I will stop my frugal habits if I don't "have" to pay off debt and that money will inexplicably evaporate if I try the save then invest route. I know a lot of this is from not trusting myself financially but I think I need some time to rebuild that trust. One strategy is living in as inexpensive a location as possible. Do you really need that extra bedroom or bathroom? Can you manage without a dishwasher or washer/dryer? Can you live closer to work to reduce commuting costs? Where I used to live was a "cool" location and also very inexpensive. It is still cool but it is not cheap anymore so I moved to a less cool and less expensive area that is also closer to my office. You have to balance cheapness with feeling safe and not living in a situation that might negatively impact your mental health as well as your non-negotiables (for me that is living alone) but it can really add up if you can lower your shelter expenses.
Also, buying online gives you a total before you purchase, whereas, in store you don't know the total until checkout. As for the car, I prefer buying new and keeping forever. Thanks for this advice!
Thank you so much for this, Rachel. I recently had a failed dog adoption and when all the money was refunded, I wanted to spend it. (it would definitely make me feel better) But I went from this video to scheduling a credit card payment instead. It feels really great!
So happy I found your channel. I too am just starting my journey with minimalism and living with less for less stress. But I don't have the money to replace my items to make it aesthetically pleasing right now but I still want to live simple and free and at peace. Keep up the good work
We use Charlie’s Soap Powder for our laundry detergent. The bulk size was $120 up front but one of those lasts our family of 6 about 2 YEARS. That’s $5 a month for laundry detergent and I do about 35-40 loads per month. 🙌🏻
We paid down our mortgage quickly by prioritizing extra mortgage payments and by having a policy that all "found" money would go towards the mortgage. Found money was anything extra we got, other than paychecks. So tax refunds went towards the mortgage, bonuses, gifts, proceeds from selling excess furniture, etc. It's amazing how quickly the balance goes down when you give up the chance to blow this extra money on other things.
Thanks for the video...a great reminder that every little bit helps your wallet and the planet! I save a lot by growing a garden, using a Diva cup, not buying Ziploc bags, stretching my groceries by making many meals for the week. Reduce, Reuse and Up-cycle!!!
I've been wanting to learn how to cut hair so we don't have to pay for that all the time! One major thing I would add to this is learn how to do routine maintenance tasks for your car. Learning how to change your own oil and brakes on your car can save A LOT of money! There are plenty of UA-cam videos that can show you how to do it accurately. Half the price auto care places charge is just the labor alone. Also learning how to do little repair things around the house is a big help instead of calling in the professionals 👍🏻
I try to eat before I go places that way I won’t buy food just because I’m hungry. This being said, when my children were little and we went somewhere like the zoo or water park, I packed lunches and snacks for them. I even purchased fun treats and small dollar store toys and they felt like they had gotten souvenirs!! It was great!!
Great ideas-and YAY we do most of them! One of the things we did to help as well was to regulate utilities. We put a Nest thermostat on so we can set an auto temp zone and it will swap, as well as set when we aren’t at home. We also leveled our bills with the utility company (not a normal thing in the southeast) to make budgeting easier. Meal planning also helped cut our budget for groceries tremendously, as well as intentional outings so we pass all the stops and save on our gas bill.
The online vs in store buying is soooo true. Also check out your local credit union. They usually have better account options. I also love the bloopers at the end.
Nice video. I Love that. If your in dept, your broke. It's so true... We do all of these. If I really do want or need something new. I shop at the local op shop (second hand charity shop here in Australia 😊) I also like to repurpose and upgrade or remake photo frames, furniture etc with clever crafting ideas. Not only is it fun, but it saves having to throw things away and you get to see something really cool or pretty that you made in your beautiful home. 😊💖 I also use the rule. I only buy something if I really need it. Can't fix one I already have. Or is it practical and do I really need it? It really helps. 😊
I'm not broke right now but really love watching videos on this topic since I will have to apply for a student loan soon in order to move out. I want to be able to pay the loan asap, so I'm trying to implement advice like yours in my life already.
Smart :) well you might have already heard this, but my advice for student loans is to ONLY take loans for how much you need, don’t take out any extra. It can be easy to get a bigger loan and blow that money, only to have to pay it back tenfold due to interest! (Imagine using student loan money to buy a $300 guitar... in 15 years, that guitar will end up costing a LOT more than that! 😬 good luck with your schooling!! ❤️👏
@@MessyMinimalist That's some really good advice and thank you!! Luckily I'm in the position that where I live (Germany) we have a special kind of state loans that you can apply for as a student. Depending on how much your parents earn etc. they give you a certain amount of money monthly. The amazing thing about it is that you have to pay them max. 10000€ back, even if they gave you more money over the years. It doesn't really have interest, (unless you are late on your payments) and you only have to start paying back 5 years after you stopped getting money from them. So it is very doable to pay this loan. What's even better is that if you are super quick at paying them back, you even have to pay less!
If you plan in reusing your razor don’t forget to disinfect it, a friend in college taught me this. She sprays it down with rubbing alcohol after using it then stores it dry so it doesn’t rust 👍🏼
Walmart grocery pickup for the win! Fewer impulse purchases, less snacks and garbage food, not wasting an hour in the store, sticking to the list. Can't say enough good things about it.
RAZORS You are 100% correct. 2 things to further dramatically increase savings. 1. run the razor backward, so you are not actually saving, down your arm 10-15 times will somewhat resharpen your blades this extends the life of the razor a good bit. 2. Amazon has a 12 pack of good blades for $12. "Personna Men's 5 Blade Razor System - Mens Shaving Razors - Razor Handle with 12 Replacement Cartridges" There is a women's version but they are just pink and more expensive. I spend about $12 per 18 months on razors. Bonus tip: Storing your razors outside the bathroom will extend their life by up to 300%, since they aren't in a moist environment that encourages rust. (I'm to lazy to do this, but if I did I would be spending $12 every 4 years.)
We cut our own hair too - not for money saving reasons but because my and my children’s hair is what they call ‘unmanageable’, it looks good coming out of a salon but looks awful a couple of hours later. We know our hair and know how to cut it to look good. Eating out - five of us can easily go up to £100, so we only eat out on our birthdays but not always. My second hand car lasted 7 years before it started to fall apart, we saved a lot that way. Growing up poor my mother instilled it into me and my brothers - if you don’t have any cold hard cash, do without. My younger brother and I hold this wisdom and have passed it onto our children - we both own our house outright. Older brother has always spent what he doesn’t have and at 48 he doesn’t have anywhere to live but with my mother. Go figure! Love your series and wish you all the best And success on your venture.
Thanks. One thing I do sometimes is pretend I'm really poor, which I've had lots of experience with. That helps my thinking in which I stop buying until I really need something. I also think keeping money for the long term will provide funds to make my older years easier when I no longer have any earnings, or have some funds to cover emergencies not covered in my normal monthly budget.
A very obvious suggestion - which I have no doubt many people practice already - is to shop your Op Shop. Recently I was losing weight (yay!) and wanted smaller clothes, but did not want to buy full price items. (I was hoping to lose more weight! 😊) I spent just under $30 at my Op Shop and bought four t-shirts and two pairs of harem pants (my favourites). (Two of the t-shirts were brand new - still had tags attached.) This year my sister and I are going on a holiday to a tropical island. I have bought two really good swimsuits for a total of $9. I always wash Op Shop items before wearing - but otherwise, it is just like regular shopping. And you can SAVE a lot of money.
I'm curious to know if you mean consumer debt free or all including mortgage debt free. I love the tips you gave in this video! They might be a bit obvious, but they took me quite awhile to figure out. I'm doing a no buy year this year and it's been just wonderful! I've finally found a way to stop the inflow of stuff in my home! I'm quite jealous you have no service fee for your bank in the US! In Europe it's impossible nowadays. Also the first bank just dropped their interest for savings accounts to 0%. I'm crying seeing my money drain away :(
We are both consumer and mortgage. We do have a business loan though. (That being said, this is not intended to be a 'how to get out of debt' video. Just a few tips of ways we saved money)
It depends in which country from Europe you're talking about. I don't pay anything in my accounts ( right now I have accounts in 2 EU countries). Unfortunatly they don't pay you anything in regular checking accounts were I have them though.. for savings it's different. At least until now they're still paying ( not high interests though).
saki ki In Sweden in my bank you pay small fee for VISA debit(and credit) card but no fees for normal use nationally like buying at stores and making withdrawls. As for savings yes the interest on savings account have fallen to zero depending on the level of money like If it is 150 000 SEK(~ 15 000 dollars) but way higher you might still get a small%. A couple of years ago Even s small amount like 100 SEK in saving still got a % monthly.
@@MissVasques I guess it really does differ per country. That particular bank even started charging people who own more than 2 million euros interest. They have to pay to store that amount of money. I think it's absurd. Just 5 years ago the interest was 1,5-2% for everything. And the bank just gets to do what they want with your money...
First: Set Savings Goals One of the best ways to save money is by visualizing what you are saving for. If you need motivation, set saving targets along with a timeline to make it easier to save.
I'm on a no-spend week this week! I buy SO MUCH COFFEE and eat out a ton (I'm in college and am the only person who actually cooks for myself). It's easy to say yes to spending money with your friends so that you don't get left out. However, it's not good for mu budget. Wish me luck!
Brittney Dear could you have potluck dinners at your place? Make a pot of chili and have folks bring toppings and dessert. You might even have leftovers.
I LOVE this video!!!!! Thank you!!!! I have always cut my husbands hair too.. my sister is a retired beautician, so she does our daughters and my hair. So grateful for her!!
Great tips 🎉 congratulations on being debt free. I’m almost there only a couple of grand to go - tools for my Husbands livelihood had to go on credit card because they were big spend items he needed to get the job and we didn’t have the money up front. Will feel amazing to be debt free again.
Thanks for the video. I am a big fan! I am so glad being frugal is stylish now lol. I have been this way my whole life and was raised this way. Now it is stylish lol.
We went down to one car and moved closer to the places we need to be and bike. We decided it would cost the same to pay and insure another car in rent difference. When I shop for personal items (or anything for that matter) if I wasn’t buying more than one item I usually walk out with nothing. I usually make better purchases when I consult my husband for advice. Saving money or not spending any. I bake bread every week, I save $2-4 every week.
I really struggle with what you said about ugly stuff...😫 I find myself replacing things that are ugly but not broken all the time...I think I just have these unrealistic expactations of what minimalism is supposed to look like (seeing it on instagramm and everywhere) Anyway thanks for the tipps:)
I'm so relating to the blooper of you realizing how long it's been since you started to cut your husbands hair. I've had a lot of those woah-moments recently. ^^
Great tips! Ive been doing these same tips for years and they totally work! I love that you said the HD vs SD too. I do that too but never realized I was doing it. I guess I’m on autopilot now. Lol. I love making my own cereal etc (such as granola), especially from bulk oats. It helps us save money AND reduce sugar intake. Plus I can add flax, or pumpkin seeds and the like to customize nutrition and flavors. 😊 And this year we have a few extra chickens so selling the extra eggs pays for the feed. We’re also adding a veggie garden to our yard this year, planting veggies that keep well and a small raised salad garden to cut twenty off our weekly groceries a few months this year. Can’t wait!
I bought so much of our baby stuff used. Basically anything that could be washed. I got a Mommaroo for less than half of what it would have cost me new. I saved so much money doing this because they usually outgrow stuff before it gets much wear and tear.
We are not debt free, we have a mortgage but we never had other loans. Thank you France for its public services. Even if in debt we also have significant amount of saving too. It is not that interesting to reimburse your mortgage regarding interest rates. But we know that when we will move out our house will be sold at a higher price than what we bought and we will certainly buy a cheaper one (because in smaller city), then we will go dept free. On a daily basis we are having fun without spending so much money. One tips for saving and have also an impact on the environment : do not go on holidays by plane far away. You might have great places nearby your home. It will save you money and time and energy! Regarding razors, I have too an old one bought years ago, but I'm not using it so often than you 😅 I considered buying a safety razor but mine still works so not sure it's relevant. And regarding cars, I can't get the idea of buying a new car with a loan. We have one car, a second hand one, bought with our savings. It's enough and if someone judges me for that... Good for him!
My tip for buying online, fill your basket and then leave it for 48 hours. One of three things will happen. 1. The company emails you a voucher. 2. You decide you don't really need what you put in the basket. 3. You buy it anyway, but at least you're sure you want/need the stuff in your basket. 💚
I. I'm already doing all this and dumpster diving during summer. I have just moved apartments and l will be putting up for sale everything l have several times and clothes l don't need or wear anymore. Even if l get a few pennies, it's always that taken, can benefit someone else and makes space to breathe!
I waited until the perfect time to watch this. Our family vehicle got totaled back in Oct. We've opted to save money and go without a vehicle, until we can pay cash outright for the next one.
I remember getting a token from the money tree because I was there on the 25th anniversary (oh for shame!!). I bumped into a friend and we were laughing & crying as we accepted these little green pom-poms guys wearing sashes that said “Money Tree 25th year anniversary!! When I got out of debt I took out my little money tree guy & celebrated to the bejesus!!
Great tips. I personally spend less if I’ve had to walk to the shop and take out cash to purchase something. Often I really can’t be bothered to do the journey! But when I do- I prefer that my money is going to a local retailer. I guess that wouldn’t work for everyone tho. My other top tip is to take out cash at the start of the month and then only use cash to purchase anything. 👍
I' heard this multiple times when growing up....but only now, as an adult, am I taking it more to heart....."Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
I like that 👏
Love this!!!!
I think the buy things online-thing is subjective. I'm way more likely to impulse buy when I'm browsing e-bay than in an actual store, because when I'm holding something in my hands it's easier for me to think "but will I use it" or "but where will I put it?" It's a matter of knowing your own impulse triggers, I guess.
That's good insight. I can understand that side of it!
Anneli Elisabet me too . It’s easier to click and buy . Lately Costco online has soo many good things . Lucky I am being really good and buying stuff I really needed or wanted for years. They had a perfume and conditioner that was half what you pay retail
I don’t have that issue, but I am the opposite of the “spending cash is emotionally harder.” Cash just flows out of my hands because it’s a sure thing. Using cards forces me to check my balances. So no matter what research says, there’s always an exception.
@@mschrisfrank2420 I'm like that too. Money in my pocket just disappears. 🙄
Anneli Elisabet good point. Totally happens!!
A few other tips i use (though I am far from debt free):
-budgeting. Specifically write down EVERY purchase. Most people will be shocked at how it adds up.
-fix it if you can. Clothes, housewares, etc.
-find out if you have a local "buy nothing" group
-just wait. Whatever you want but don't need will be forgotten. I only buy it if i am still thinking about it a while later.
-invest in paint to make things match your home instead of new furniture. You can thrift or spruce up old stuff wayyyy cheaper.
-get glasses online instead of from a store. And get your eye exam when theres a special going on. This has saved me likeee approx $250 every 2 years.
I think it's a great tip to write down all purchases. I used to do that as well when things were REALLY tight and it brought to light just how many frivolous purchases were being made!
I just got my second pair of glasses today buying them online. They were like $40 which is far less expensive than the store.
Straight up eye exams at Walmart or Sams Club. All eye doctors have the same optometry degree. While I like the idea of supporting local businesses, I ain't paying $250-300 for an eye exam from an independent optometrist when the exams at walmart/shopko/sams are $70-80.
@@elizabethb913 SEE has $30 eye exams occasionally so that's what i do
We bought a lot of our furniture (matching Indian sheesham) from gumtree and eBay dirt cheap. I asked each one their reasons for getting rid of expensive piece of furniture and 80% of them said it doesn’t go with their new decor!! One item was still wrapped in factory plastic protection sleeve! Bizarre but good for me as I’ve beautiful furniture that I’ve saved thousand of pounds by buying too cheap!
The library is the best one for me, getting to read all the books I want and they dont clutter up my house afterwards
As a library clerk I fully support this. A study showed because millennials don’t have much $ & a lot of debt attendance at libraries are up 🤓
I work in an academic library - I handle interlibrary loan. People are always shocked to find out how few books I own. I don't feel a desire to own a lot of books. They take up a lot of visual real estate and it feels so good to free it up when I return them.
The library costs too much for people that can't 100% know if they will get the books back on time prob spent $500 on late fees between the age 15-20 and decided the library was a trap. lol
Ambee Gaming hardly a trap when there’s a receipt that says when you need your books/materials back on time. The 32 libraries in the 1 system here also sets up for automatic renewals and texts or automated phone calls are made as reminders the items are due soon. The people who have massive fees tend to steal from the library. If it’s a case of emergency/hospital/house fire we tend to waive the late fees. Just yesterday 1 of the libraries I work at waiver $235 which is insane but we aren’t heartless.
@@PlaceForAnEcho No still a trap just one even you don't see cuz you never had to deal with it.
Edit this was almost 15 years ago they could hardly run their own scanners forget about "automatic renewals and texts"
"Who you really are is BROKE" such a mood
I was just getting ready to type this same quote!
It needs to be a meme! So wise!!
Hilarious
Another tip for shaving: getting a safety razor saves tons of money (and is less waste full). The handle is stainless steel, so will last an actual lifetime or longer. And the razors last really long and are cheap to buy. I switched about three years ago and I'm never going back to plastic I think.
This is a big one. I bought my grandparents house and there were 2 safety razors of my grandpas still in perfect condition. The handles will 100% outlast your life, and probably your children's life. I bought a pack of 30 razor blades for $15 years ago and am STILL going though them. I have my own handle I bought before I bought the house but now I have 2 extra (thanks grandpa!)
Caitlin Smulders ive been wanting to get a stainless steel one for soo long. Still going through the plastic ones i bought once a few gears ago. Do you have a recommendation by any chance for a stainless steel one?
Same here will never go back to plastic!
I need to just use up all the plastic once and then treat myself to a bad ass stainless steel one. My grandpa uses the one he got as a teen still. Definitely better than plastic!!
And if you dry the blade after each use, the blade seems to last longer. That applies to plastic razors, too
My two favorite parts: when you keep emphasizing “you’re BROKE!” And “no, seriously, I’m not crazy though.” 😄
Ashley McDonald same!
I run outside, when it rains, so I can catch as much water as possible in buckets. I can water my chickens for a week. I open curtains instead of turning on lights during the day. We wear sweatshirts instead of turning up heat. I fill my dogs water dishes while waiting for the water to heat up. I write down all errands for one day a week. I use all community freebies that I can; library, food banks, school functions,free classes etc.
Diane I noticed - since I live in the USA - that a lot of people keep their blinds closed during the day. Always wander why 🤷♀️
When we stayed at a villa in Florida twice some years back, we were advised by the owners to keep the curtains shut - to keep the heat out and reduce the air conditioner being used.
Sounds like a full time job. Respect!
You are a pro!
I love this! Some people measure their "worth" by the things they have! They could be debt free if they changed their mindset and their cars!
agreed!!
My favorite shelf is one I pulled from the curb at my neighbor's house. It is solid as a beast.... Sometimes the "old, cheap or free" stuff is the best. But be thoughtful about it.
Finding a way I did a similar thing! I found a super sturdy large square end table someone was throwing out. In the duplex I'm in we have a large landing and I cleaned it up and asked my neighbor if we could put it there.
It is my belief by each door in and out of the house there should be a table. Sometimes you need to set groceries down or your bags of stuff for work when you realize you forgot your keys.
Turns out my neighbor loves it as much as I do. She sits on it to put her shoes on the morning. Before we had wasted space and a floor I wouldn't have put anything on and now we have a multi-purpose table for the cost of some cleaning spray and a few paper towels.
I’m the opposite. If I hold something and walk around in a store, I will usually get over it and not buy it.
I've done that too.
Me too! My boyfriend makes fun of me all the time. Cuz when im not sure about an item, ill put it in my cart then finish my shopping. Then I can evaluate what i have in my cart that i actually need vs want n then i go put things back. It works for me 🤷
That what I DO I hold it in my hand maybe 3 isles later I put it back. If I'm on the fence about an item I'll hold it 95% of the time I put it down.
Same here. But I will impulse buy online to get over the certain dollar amount to get free shipping!
Me too!!!
Love these tips! My husband and I are on our debt free journey and our big extreme thing is majorly downsizing. We are in the midst of getting rid of at least 75% of our stuff in order to move into an RV so we can become completely debt free and travel the country. Becoming debt free and getting to travel is a dream come true!
Good luck!! 🙌❤️
Watch Casey Roman she explains in detail the RV situation now. And she loved it.
"WHO WE ARE IS BROKE" hahahaha LOVED IT!!!
Grow your own food. Even a patio tomato plant will save you money while adding a burst of deliciousness to your life.
Love it
I also recently saw a post somewhere (sorry I can't give credit): It only takes $27.40 a day to get yourself into $10,000 in debt. For me it helps to be aware of those little expenses. I keep several lists in my bullet journal: a wish list with a minimum of 1 week waiting period, a list of every thing I've found myself saying "but it's only $5.00" (or some other low amount), and a list of things that I enjoy. These lists help clarify my shopping urges. The wishlist lets me reflect and see if I really want something instead of having that impulse thought of "yeah I want and need that thing" and then immediately buying said thing. I am able to wait and put time and distance between the wished for item. I also use that time to see if I can substitute something else for the new fancy "thing" that I thought I wanted. The "but it's only $5.00" serves as a reminder of how stupid I can be about spending money just because the price isn't high. I have been tempted to buy some really dumb stuff because i'ts only a couple bucks. And then the last list reminds me that what usually makes me happy either doesn't cost money or it might cost money but it's not at a store (experiences). I made these lists a habit. I also participate in zero spend months to raise money out of my own budget to help me save for certain short term goals or to help me get back on track if I feel I am getting a little spend crazy. All of these tips and so many more have helped me work toward paying off all of my credit card debt in one year which amounted to over $15,000 while making only $34,000.
Devynn Great job! I'm really proud of you!
😳Holy Shizzle! I used to have to pay $35/mo for healthcare, and I complained b/c that was the highest rate in 🇨🇦 2020 saw the end of that bill in BC💫 Car free family here 👟 We expressly live near town to avoid the expenses (financial & environmental) of a pmv (personal motor vehicle). My kids learned to ride their bicycles by the time they were 4, we walk & cycle everywhere, and use public transit as a last resort. Feels great to stay physically active🙂
Nice, I LOVE public transit and miss having it! What’s healthcare like now in Canada? I heard things were changing. The US healthcare marketplace is really expensive.. there’s just no way around it though because we get fined if we don’t enroll in a plan or obtain coverage elsewhere (another employer). 😫
Messy Minimalist a lot of people seriously just pay the fine. With you having kids it may be a better deal to pay for the ins.
In my area everyone has been on the waitlist for years to get a gp. Most walk in clinics refuse to give basic blood testing unless they feel you are extremely ill. Our chronic disease care in canada kind of sucks. Especially when you have an invisible disability.
I've been binging Dave Ramesy podcasts and knowing you're Debt Free makes me squeal!!! Good for freakin you!!!!!! That's amazing!!!! Screams and hugs from Napa!! 🎉🎉😍 PS I posted this Before you mentioned Dave! I KNEW you've listened to him 😇
I love how i can sense the sincerity in your comment 💕😁
Justine White hehe thank you!! 😁🙏 🙌
I love Dave Ramsey!!
Just laughed when u said how much a car should cost lol I looked out the window and saw my $250 crusty rusty Nissan Sentra 😝
Jasmin Rivera nissans will run forever!!!!! 😍😍😍I had one that I finally got rid of only bc all our cars were old and had so many miles and my hubs was worried. So I finally said fine go out and buy whatever you want and I will get rid of my Nissan and take your truck (it is navy and I love navy!!!) So far so good. But yeah you can drive a Nissan til it falls apart. I still see the guy driving it up and down our highway and this was like 5 or 6 yrs ago when I sold it. LOL
Jasmin Rivera that’s awesome - and what a deal!
Girl, give that Nissan some love! Those things can last forever! We drive an Altima that had 349, 000 miles on it. Ran great until the day a tree crushed it during a storm. :( I'm convinced that with good care it could have made it to half a mil!
I drove my first car until 2 years ago when it literally was smoking and falling apart, only then did I upgrade to something I really liked.
I have a Nissan Figaro that’ll turn 30 next year. Nissans really last!!!!
I'm here for the tips. I'm for minimalism for how it looks, and the freedom. If something is ugly and I don't use it anymore, I just donate it. I can live without a lot of things esp if they don't serve me or make my space look Better.
Colleen Thomsen me too
Colleen Thomsen I think she means don’t replace things you do need/use just because they don’t look like you want them to, if you are in debt/broke. Yes, declutter everything you don’t need/like-but in this case, keep it if you need it but it’s not your preference, donate or abs replace when you actually have the money for it.
A great tip someone else gave on their channel was to give yourself a long waiting period before purchasing. I do at least 30 days. I can't tell you how many times I've put something in my cart online, then came back to it months later only to find that I could really do without it. My tip is to download a free debt payoff spreadsheet and use that to track your progress. It really helped me to see everything in black and white and have the actual numbers laid out so clearly: how much interest I'll be paying, how many months it will take to pay off each debt, etc. My partner and I are tackling our debt separately. I'm on track to be consumer debt free in 4 months! Since he bought a new truck last year, it'll take him a bit longer, but he'll be done next October. Our mortgage would take five more years, but we're planning on selling and buying a smaller place in our dream location with the leftover cash.
I've noticed I become obsessed about something if i put it in my online cart. Keep going back to check stock and price. I usually end up eventually purchasing. I think I'm going to have to stop adding.
@@matilda2 I get it! I remember feeling like that for some things that I later regretted purchasing. Maybe keying into that feeling of buyer's remorse is what led me to having the 30-day wait for non-essential stuff. Also, got tired of driving to UPS. Even with free returns, the hassle gets tiresome... Do what works for you!
I don't agree with the Online Shopping: a lot of people tend to buy online in an impulsive way, too :)
Yeah, one can impulse buy anywhere.
Yeah ... I grocery shop online because it keeps my from impulse buying. But I CANNOT have amazon Prime or go on Target.com because I WILL get myself in trouble.
Probably the best suggestions I've seen.
There's a tip for you - do the stainless steel razor (about $20 on Amazon) with razor blades - they are like $10 for 50 and will be enough for years!
I'm actually kind of proud of our ratty 20-year-old wedding gift bath towels, with strings and bits hanging off them. They still work just fine, and I will keep them until they are completely falling apart. They actually make me happy, because really, the thought of replacing them, and deciding what to do with the old towels (yes, pet shelters might accept them, and some could be cleaning rags) causes me too much anxiety. Easier to just use them. :)
Eating out, even just a coffee every day really adds up! We don't have any brand new cars...but we have several. my husband is a mechanic and is a vehicle hoarder lol. But yes going out and buying a $70k truck when you make $60k a year is crazy. Glad to see a new video from you as always 😊 can we have more inn videos please, staying there is on my bucket list.
Also a tip here for shopping:
If you buy something, some decor, clothes, shoes or whatever thing - put it aside and let it be there for a couple of days. If it’s a decor- put it up but don’t take tags off. Look at it.
If you don’t feel 100% excitement while it’s there resting, I suggest to return it. This is what I always do and it saved me tons of money.
Coz I get exited to buy something, then when I have it for a few days, I sometimes don’t reach for the thing. And so I understand that I don’t need this thing and just take my time to actually return it.
I know that many people are lazy to return stuff, but get into a habit. It will help a lot.
In the U.K. you cannot return stuff without a valid reason. And most commonly, you don’t get a refund but a credit note. Best not to buy in the first place.
Beth 1975 well whole world is not uk neither people can’t escape buying all together.
Sometimes you buy tools that you think you need, then don’t end up using, or buy clothes online that you need, but have to see how they fit. I’m not talking about impulse shopping here.
I’m pretty sure that even if in the Uk there’s a more strict policy about returning stuff, at least it doesn’t apply to online and you can come up with a valid reason to return something.
Also as credit is not the worst thing, you can use instead of having something useless that doesn’t fit your needs.
I know the UK isn’t the whole world, I was just saying what it’s like in the U.K. as for credit note - you end up having to buy something (depending on which store, some you have to use within 24 hours!). Just pointing that out in case people aren’t aware and to double check their own store/country policy. There have been times where my friends have said they cannot return goods ordered via amazon unless it was evidently damaged in transit. Again I’m not saying that rules apply all over the world, just that returning items is not always possible. I’m aware that in USA there are different policies in place or it may be easy to return for a refund - good for you all. But it’s always worthwhile to check and double check so you don’t end up with things you’ve paid for and can not get a refund.
Congratulations! I'm so proud of you two for becoming debt FREE!!! We're on our own journey to debt freedom and a more minimalist lifestyle.
Hi Rachel! I’m really surprised you’re not a life consultant coach. You’re amazing! I hope the family is doing fine. I homeschool my granddaughter and we are out on the back patio doing her reading lesson. Yesterday it was 80, today it’s going to be 76. God bless you all. Thanks for the advice. Jean from Arizona 🌻🦎🌴🐍🏜🦂🌵
Aw, thanks for saying so. It’s on my bucket list to learn how to be a life coach! That sounds like a dream. 😊 I’m glad to hear of those nice warm temps in Arizona, as I’ll be heading that way for a vacation soon!! 😁💕
It’s nice to hear some tips that aren’t just “cut out Starbucks” I know you mentioned it because that is very real. I know people that spend 300-400 just on coffee. I grew up in a frugal family and this is just mind boggling to me. I also have cut my husbands hair since we married! He did go to the 💈 barbershop before, (he spent I think between 25-30 with a tip every two weeks)but was happy to save $ when we got married! It makes me happy to think of how much $ we’ve saved over the years that way (probably about $6k at our 10y mark this year). Even though most have thought me weird....probably. 🤣 The new tip I heard is buying online! I don’t go to stores very much but the grocery store and Walmart I “have” to. Maybe at least buying online for Walmart will help! The upcharge for grocery store hurt my frugal side quite a bit. 🤣 We still have more debt than my parents first house cost (granted that home was under 70k)! I want to change that. We live pretty frugal but our outgoing exceeds the incoming but I know I can improve!!! :) Thanks for this video.
I cut my husbands hair too. He only ever goes to the barbers for special occasions like when we have a wedding to go too and those occasions don't come around very often.
I thought it was nice to not hear the "cut out Starbucks" too!
These tips are actually SO HELPFUL. In the last year, I’ve changed cell phone carriers, automated all my bills that were charging me to pay one-time payments online (or postage!), readjusted my internet/car insurance plans, and am currently looking at my options for vehicle financing to purchase a car once my lease expires in a few months.
Adulting is hard! And unfortunately, it requires constant price checking and financial review.
The biggest thing for me was to be brutally, BRUTALLY honest about my income vs my expenses. I also looked at my debt and was brutally honest about how long it was going to take me to pay it off if I kept on the way I was. As a result, I did up a budget, minimizing spending and maximizing debt repayment. I used a financial windfall to pay 3/4 of my truck loan and once that is gone, I can divert the funds that would have been a truck payment to repaying my line of credit and kick that debt to the curb. I am in Canada, so I think with the exchange rate we are pretty much on the same page with regard to how much to spend on a vehicle. My truck was just under 10 thousand (about 75 hundred US).
I also recommend lowering the limit on your credit card, so that even when temptation strikes you are not able to spend more than you can afford to repay within the shortest period of time possible. DVD's are another area of my life that I needed to devote some attention to, so I suspended my Netflix account and am watching my DVD collection. As I watch them, I am unhauling all the titles I won't watch again (those will be donated to a local charity shop). So I have several weeks of FREE entertainment and it's been really fun. I also gave myself a deadline to make it a priority. If I don't watch it by the deadline, out it goes.
I LOVE this new content & the format of putting the tips up on the screen
We do something we call "keep the change". Everytime we write out a check, we round the amount up to the next dollar. So if we write a check for 26.25, we'll round it up to 27.00 and when we balance the check book we add up all that change. We've been doing this for the past 13 years and we have over 1100.00 extra in our checkbook.
I already do so many of these things so this video is reassuring and motivating to keep doing what we’re doing in our household. 💜
Wish I had known all this when I was younger. Kudos to you guys. If you dry your razors between uses, it prolongs their use even longer. We stopped exchanging gifts, for the most part, except for the grandchildren, we don't give gifts. After all, how much stuff do we all really need? Plus as a minimalist, it really bothers me to receive, or give, an unwanted or uneeded gift. We don't buy paper napkins, we use cloth ones. We purchased a Burkey water filter, so we don't purchase bottled water. Another great video.
Already doing the razor one (mach 3), windfalls to debt and the car one, especially maintenance of the car - road salt is so hard on them and regular home detailing makes it a pleasure to drive! We struggle with meals out, but continue to work on it. (Ps: never apologize for talking too much... you do you and I will continue to watch and tell everyone about your channel BECAUSE of it...) 🇨🇦
❤️🙏 thank you
Your collar bone flows with the background wall 😊
Two things: Low Buy Challenge and unsubscribe from Amazon.
I might start making a shopping list. Things would have to sit on there for a whole month before buying.
Love the comment on keeping ugly useful things! 👍 Really good video!
ItoshiiBaka yes, I deleted my Amazon account as well! And I saved so much money!
This was great!!!! Hahhaha you are so right even though I’m so bad at this lol! I’ve always enjoyed your honesty, attitude and your channel!!! So proud of y’all!!! Congrats!!! One tip I do have is I have learned if I see something I really want when I’m out shopping, I go home, sleep on it, if two or three days (sometimes a week) later, I really still want it, I will go back and purchase it! I save ALOT that way!! I.e. home decor, craft supplies, organizing bins i think I need more of etc 🥰
Preach it sister! Love your matter of fact and realistic approach to our society's mindless consumerism! We need to stop buying stuff to impress other people!
Yes!!! Love love love this! My husband and i would not be able to afford to travel now if we hadn't been SO frugal when we first got married. We have used every one of these tips (minus the kid tips) for years. Preach it Rachel! 👏👏👏 So happy for Y'all! ❤❤❤
Ty! So glad you are able to travel and do the things you love now. Goals!!
Up & up at target has a razor/replacement heads that work with venus, are cheaper, and work just as good!
Congratulations on being Dept free!!! That is so exciting! I agree, minimalism and finances do go hand in hand.
Also, thanks for the tips! These are great and very helpful.
Congratulations on being debt-free! This January I was able to pay off my last two credit cards (I used to have 6) due to an inheritance. I still have two loans - a very low-interest fixed-rate student loan and a moderate-interest consolidation loan.The consolidation loan should be paid off in 2 years by redirecting the amounts I was paying on my credit cards to it. I have decided to not use the inheritance to pay off my student loan but invest instead. If I can't get a return on my investment that is higher than the interest I pay on my student loan, I'll reconsider my choice. Part of this is worry that I will stop my frugal habits if I don't "have" to pay off debt and that money will inexplicably evaporate if I try the save then invest route. I know a lot of this is from not trusting myself financially but I think I need some time to rebuild that trust.
One strategy is living in as inexpensive a location as possible. Do you really need that extra bedroom or bathroom? Can you manage without a dishwasher or washer/dryer? Can you live closer to work to reduce commuting costs? Where I used to live was a "cool" location and also very inexpensive. It is still cool but it is not cheap anymore so I moved to a less cool and less expensive area that is also closer to my office. You have to balance cheapness with feeling safe and not living in a situation that might negatively impact your mental health as well as your non-negotiables (for me that is living alone) but it can really add up if you can lower your shelter expenses.
Also, buying online gives you a total before you purchase, whereas, in store you don't know the total until checkout.
As for the car, I prefer buying new and keeping forever. Thanks for this advice!
Thank you so much for this, Rachel. I recently had a failed dog adoption and when all the money was refunded, I wanted to spend it. (it would definitely make me feel better) But I went from this video to scheduling a credit card payment instead. It feels really great!
MrsKiwi Great choice. I hope you find the right pup for you.
Just wanted to say congrats on being debt free! Hope to get there soon, too. Thanks for the tips!
So happy I found your channel. I too am just starting my journey with minimalism and living with less for less stress. But I don't have the money to replace my items to make it aesthetically pleasing right now but I still want to live simple and free and at peace. Keep up the good work
A new video?! What a blessing. 🥰🖤
Listening to your tips while working for tips. 🚗🖤
Boom! Get it!! 🙌😁
Completely agree! My husband and I spent 5 years buckled down becoming debt free!! A lot less day to day stress.
We use Charlie’s Soap Powder for our laundry detergent. The bulk size was $120 up front but one of those lasts our family of 6 about 2 YEARS. That’s $5 a month for laundry detergent and I do about 35-40 loads per month. 🙌🏻
We paid down our mortgage quickly by prioritizing extra mortgage payments and by having a policy that all "found" money would go towards the mortgage. Found money was anything extra we got, other than paychecks. So tax refunds went towards the mortgage, bonuses, gifts, proceeds from selling excess furniture, etc. It's amazing how quickly the balance goes down when you give up the chance to blow this extra money on other things.
Awesome job. And agreed! The debt really does go down fast when you focus all you have on it!
Thanks for the video...a great reminder that every little bit helps your wallet and the planet! I save a lot by growing a garden, using a Diva cup, not buying Ziploc bags, stretching my groceries by making many meals for the week. Reduce, Reuse and Up-cycle!!!
I've been wanting to learn how to cut hair so we don't have to pay for that all the time! One major thing I would add to this is learn how to do routine maintenance tasks for your car. Learning how to change your own oil and brakes on your car can save A LOT of money! There are plenty of UA-cam videos that can show you how to do it accurately. Half the price auto care places charge is just the labor alone. Also learning how to do little repair things around the house is a big help instead of calling in the professionals 👍🏻
That's a great idea to learn to change oil. I've heard it's not too difficult once you've done it!
I try to eat before I go places that way I won’t buy food just because I’m hungry. This being said, when my children were little and we went somewhere like the zoo or water park, I packed lunches and snacks for them. I even purchased fun treats and small dollar store toys and they felt like they had gotten souvenirs!! It was great!!
Great ideas-and YAY we do most of them! One of the things we did to help as well was to regulate utilities. We put a Nest thermostat on so we can set an auto temp zone and it will swap, as well as set when we aren’t at home. We also leveled our bills with the utility company (not a normal thing in the southeast) to make budgeting easier. Meal planning also helped cut our budget for groceries tremendously, as well as intentional outings so we pass all the stops and save on our gas bill.
Sonya Barnes - Addicted to Teaching great tips about utilities! Love it
The online vs in store buying is soooo true. Also check out your local credit union. They usually have better account options. I also love the bloopers at the end.
Nice video. I Love that. If your in dept, your broke. It's so true... We do all of these. If I really do want or need something new. I shop at the local op shop (second hand charity shop here in Australia 😊) I also like to repurpose and upgrade or remake photo frames, furniture etc with clever crafting ideas. Not only is it fun, but it saves having to throw things away and you get to see something really cool or pretty that you made in your beautiful home. 😊💖
I also use the rule. I only buy something if I really need it. Can't fix one I already have. Or is it practical and do I really need it? It really helps. 😊
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing all this vital info!!! It applies to all on a debt free journey!!!! 💞💓💗
I'm not broke right now but really love watching videos on this topic since I will have to apply for a student loan soon in order to move out. I want to be able to pay the loan asap, so I'm trying to implement advice like yours in my life already.
Smart :) well you might have already heard this, but my advice for student loans is to ONLY take loans for how much you need, don’t take out any extra. It can be easy to get a bigger loan and blow that money, only to have to pay it back tenfold due to interest! (Imagine using student loan money to buy a $300 guitar... in 15 years, that guitar will end up costing a LOT more than that! 😬 good luck with your schooling!! ❤️👏
@@MessyMinimalist That's some really good advice and thank you!! Luckily I'm in the position that where I live (Germany) we have a special kind of state loans that you can apply for as a student. Depending on how much your parents earn etc. they give you a certain amount of money monthly. The amazing thing about it is that you have to pay them max. 10000€ back, even if they gave you more money over the years. It doesn't really have interest, (unless you are late on your payments) and you only have to start paying back 5 years after you stopped getting money from them. So it is very doable to pay this loan. What's even better is that if you are super quick at paying them back, you even have to pay less!
If you plan in reusing your razor don’t forget to disinfect it, a friend in college taught me this. She sprays it down with rubbing alcohol after using it then stores it dry so it doesn’t rust 👍🏼
Who would dislike this?!?!?
This is so helpful and she’s an excellent UA-camr! Best minimalism videos ever as are so real life!
I think the dislikes are maybe jealousy related or shopaholics
Haha, thank you for this. 😆❤️
Walmart grocery pickup for the win! Fewer impulse purchases, less snacks and garbage food, not wasting an hour in the store, sticking to the list. Can't say enough good things about it.
RAZORS
You are 100% correct. 2 things to further dramatically increase savings.
1. run the razor backward, so you are not actually saving, down your arm 10-15 times will somewhat resharpen your blades this extends the life of the razor a good bit.
2. Amazon has a 12 pack of good blades for $12. "Personna Men's 5 Blade Razor System - Mens Shaving Razors - Razor Handle with 12 Replacement Cartridges" There is a women's version but they are just pink and more expensive.
I spend about $12 per 18 months on razors. Bonus tip: Storing your razors outside the bathroom will extend their life by up to 300%, since they aren't in a moist environment that encourages rust. (I'm to lazy to do this, but if I did I would be spending $12 every 4 years.)
We cut our own hair too - not for money saving reasons but because my and my children’s hair is what they call ‘unmanageable’, it looks good coming out of a salon but looks awful a couple of hours later. We know our hair and know how to cut it to look good. Eating out - five of us can easily go up to £100, so we only eat out on our birthdays but not always. My second hand car lasted 7 years before it started to fall apart, we saved a lot that way. Growing up poor my mother instilled it into me and my brothers - if you don’t have any cold hard cash, do without. My younger brother and I hold this wisdom and have passed it onto our children - we both own our house outright. Older brother has always spent what he doesn’t have and at 48 he doesn’t have anywhere to live but with my mother. Go figure! Love your series and wish you all the best And success on your venture.
Thanks. One thing I do sometimes is pretend I'm really poor, which I've had lots of experience with. That helps my thinking in which I stop buying until I really need something. I also think keeping money for the long term will provide funds to make my older years easier when I no longer have any earnings, or have some funds to cover emergencies not covered in my normal monthly budget.
You are so real & such an inspiration! xo
A very obvious suggestion - which I have no doubt many people practice already - is to shop your Op Shop. Recently I was losing weight (yay!) and wanted smaller clothes, but did not want to buy full price items. (I was hoping to lose more weight! 😊) I spent just under $30 at my Op Shop and bought four t-shirts and two pairs of harem pants (my favourites). (Two of the t-shirts were brand new - still had tags attached.) This year my sister and I are going on a holiday to a tropical island. I have bought two really good swimsuits for a total of $9. I always wash Op Shop items before wearing - but otherwise, it is just like regular shopping. And you can SAVE a lot of money.
Missing you. So I decided to rewatch some of your videos. :)
I'm curious to know if you mean consumer debt free or all including mortgage debt free. I love the tips you gave in this video! They might be a bit obvious, but they took me quite awhile to figure out. I'm doing a no buy year this year and it's been just wonderful! I've finally found a way to stop the inflow of stuff in my home!
I'm quite jealous you have no service fee for your bank in the US! In Europe it's impossible nowadays. Also the first bank just dropped their interest for savings accounts to 0%. I'm crying seeing my money drain away :(
We are both consumer and mortgage. We do have a business loan though. (That being said, this is not intended to be a 'how to get out of debt' video. Just a few tips of ways we saved money)
It depends in which country from Europe you're talking about. I don't pay anything in my accounts ( right now I have accounts in 2 EU countries).
Unfortunatly they don't pay you anything in regular checking accounts were I have them though.. for savings it's different. At least until now they're still paying ( not high interests though).
saki ki In Sweden in my bank you pay small fee for VISA debit(and credit) card but no fees for normal use nationally like buying at stores and making withdrawls. As for savings yes the interest on savings account have fallen to zero depending on the level of money like If it is 150 000 SEK(~ 15 000 dollars) but way higher you might still get a small%. A couple of years ago Even s small amount like 100 SEK in saving still got a % monthly.
@@MissVasques I guess it really does differ per country. That particular bank even started charging people who own more than 2 million euros interest. They have to pay to store that amount of money. I think it's absurd. Just 5 years ago the interest was 1,5-2% for everything. And the bank just gets to do what they want with your money...
First: Set Savings Goals
One of the best ways to save money is by visualizing what you are saving for. If you need motivation, set saving targets along with a timeline to make it easier to save.
Good suggestions. Love wind chimes. We have several and I can tell wind direction from inside my house by which chimes are ringing.
Hi! In the midst of this crisis, I found you. I feel so overwhelmed at 22. I signed up for FPU with Dave Ramsey. I am
Determined!
I'm on a no-spend week this week! I buy SO MUCH COFFEE and eat out a ton (I'm in college and am the only person who actually cooks for myself). It's easy to say yes to spending money with your friends so that you don't get left out. However, it's not good for mu budget.
Wish me luck!
Brittney Dear could you have potluck dinners at your place? Make a pot of chili and have folks bring toppings and dessert. You might even have leftovers.
You talking about buying a car within reason!! Love it and spot on. Subscribed!
I LOVE this video!!!!! Thank you!!!! I have always cut my husbands hair too.. my sister is a retired beautician, so she does our daughters and my hair. So grateful for her!!
congrats on being debt free - took me 20+ years - but happy to be there too.
Great tips 🎉 congratulations on being debt free. I’m almost there only a couple of grand to go - tools for my Husbands livelihood had to go on credit card because they were big spend items he needed to get the job and we didn’t have the money up front. Will feel amazing to be debt free again.
That was a big big big big long video but I live these. Keep em coming!!
Love how inspiring and motivating this video is!
Congratulations 🎉 debt free is the goal. Save 💰
Thanks for the video. I am a big fan! I am so glad being frugal is stylish now lol. I have been this way my whole life and was raised this way. Now it is stylish lol.
Lots of great tips, thanks for sharing!
Congratulations 🥳 on your debt freedom. We are still enroute. Thank you so much for the video.
🙏☺️
We went down to one car and moved closer to the places we need to be and bike. We decided it would cost the same to pay and insure another car in rent difference. When I shop for personal items (or anything for that matter) if I wasn’t buying more than one item I usually walk out with nothing. I usually make better purchases when I consult my husband for advice. Saving money or not spending any. I bake bread every week, I save $2-4 every week.
I really struggle with what you said about ugly stuff...😫 I find myself replacing things that are ugly but not broken all the time...I think I just have these unrealistic expactations of what minimalism is supposed to look like (seeing it on instagramm and everywhere)
Anyway thanks for the tipps:)
I'm so relating to the blooper of you realizing how long it's been since you started to cut your husbands hair. I've had a lot of those woah-moments recently. ^^
Great tips! Ive been doing these same tips for years and they totally work! I love that you said the HD vs SD too. I do that too but never realized I was doing it. I guess I’m on autopilot now. Lol. I love making my own cereal etc (such as granola), especially from bulk oats. It helps us save money AND reduce sugar intake. Plus I can add flax, or pumpkin seeds and the like to customize nutrition and flavors. 😊 And this year we have a few extra chickens so selling the extra eggs pays for the feed. We’re also adding a veggie garden to our yard this year, planting veggies that keep well and a small raised salad garden to cut twenty off our weekly groceries a few months this year. Can’t wait!
Casey Clark 😂🙌
BROKE! Yup. I love the meme I saw recently about how to waste $10k? Spend $27.40 a day for a year on stupid purchases.
loved this video. great tips.
Awesome tips! New subscriber. ❤️
I bought so much of our baby stuff used. Basically anything that could be washed. I got a Mommaroo for less than half of what it would have cost me new. I saved so much money doing this because they usually outgrow stuff before it gets much wear and tear.
We are not debt free, we have a mortgage but we never had other loans. Thank you France for its public services. Even if in debt we also have significant amount of saving too. It is not that interesting to reimburse your mortgage regarding interest rates. But we know that when we will move out our house will be sold at a higher price than what we bought and we will certainly buy a cheaper one (because in smaller city), then we will go dept free. On a daily basis we are having fun without spending so much money.
One tips for saving and have also an impact on the environment : do not go on holidays by plane far away. You might have great places nearby your home. It will save you money and time and energy!
Regarding razors, I have too an old one bought years ago, but I'm not using it so often than you 😅 I considered buying a safety razor but mine still works so not sure it's relevant. And regarding cars, I can't get the idea of buying a new car with a loan. We have one car, a second hand one, bought with our savings. It's enough and if someone judges me for that... Good for him!
My tip for buying online, fill your basket and then leave it for 48 hours. One of three things will happen. 1. The company emails you a voucher. 2. You decide you don't really need what you put in the basket. 3. You buy it anyway, but at least you're sure you want/need the stuff in your basket. 💚
I. I'm already doing all this and dumpster diving during summer. I have just moved apartments and l will be putting up for sale everything l have several times and clothes l don't need or wear anymore. Even if l get a few pennies, it's always that taken, can benefit someone else and makes space to breathe!
Great tips Rachel
I waited until the perfect time to watch this. Our family vehicle got totaled back in Oct. We've opted to save money and go without a vehicle, until we can pay cash outright for the next one.
I remember getting a token from the money tree because I was there on the 25th anniversary (oh for shame!!). I bumped into a friend and we were laughing & crying as we accepted these little green pom-poms guys wearing sashes that said “Money Tree 25th year anniversary!! When I got out of debt I took out my little money tree guy & celebrated to the bejesus!!
Great tips. I personally spend less if I’ve had to walk to the shop and take out cash to purchase something. Often I really can’t be bothered to do the journey! But when I do- I prefer that my money is going to a local retailer. I guess that wouldn’t work for everyone tho.
My other top tip is to take out cash at the start of the month and then only use cash to purchase anything. 👍
I also use a plastic venus reusable razor handle. It is the one my mum got me when I was 14 and I am now 24. I just repurchase the blades